Pharmacotherapy of obesity and eating disorders

Autor: Rafael A. Rivas-Vazquez, Jennifer Rice, Douglas S. Kalman
Rok vydání: 2003
Předmět:
Zdroj: Professional Psychology: Research and Practice. 34:562-566
ISSN: 1939-1323
0735-7028
DOI: 10.1037/0735-7028.34.5.562
Popis: Difficulties associated with eating behavior, existing on a broad continuum from uncomplicated overeating to psychopathologically disordered eating, is a growing area of concern within the medical and mental health communities. Psychologists are often called upon to conduct diagnostic assessments in order to identify issues or disorders that may require attention and provide psychotherapeutic interventions ranging from supportive to more intensive therapy. Over the past several years, there have been increased efforts to develop safe and efficacious pharmacologic treatments for obesity and eating disorders. This article provides psychologists with a review of the most currently used pharmacologic interventions for eating dysfunction. Obesity Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States and other Westernized countries, and it appears to be showing no signs of abatement. Although still viewed as a cosmetic problem by a majority of the public, the well-founded association between obesity and increased morbidity and mortality has prompted alarm from various sectors of the health care community. A literature search of two large databases (MEDLINE and PsycINFO) illustrates the incremental rise in concern, as reflected by the progressive frequency with which articles on obesity have appeared in the medical and psychological literature over the past several years. In 1996, 586 articles on obesity were published in these two databases. This number rose steadily over the ensuing years, culminating in 1,104 articles on obesity in 2002, an increase of 47%. Recently, the newly appointed director of the National Institutes of Health encouraged psychologists to join the concerted effort to curb the emergent problem of obesity across the age spectrum (Kobor, 2003). The prevalence of adults in the United States who are either overweight or obese continues to grow at an alarming rate. A weight parameter known as body mass index (BMI) is calculated by dividing body weight in kilograms by height in meters squared; overweight is defined as having a BMI of 25.0 –29.9 kg/m 2 , while obese is defined as a BMI of 30 or more kg/m 2 . Since 1991, the percentage of U.S. adults who are overweight has risen from 45% to 58%, while the percentage of adults classified as obese has risen from 12% to 21%, an increase of 74% (Mokdad et al., 2003). Of the estimated 97 million adults who have a BMI greater than 25 kg/m 2 , 44.3 million are obese. The primary and urgent concern regarding these figures is due to the increased risk these individuals face for developing life-compromising conditions, such as coronary heart disease, hypertension, stroke, dyslipidemia (high triglyceride and low high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol levels)
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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